Origin
Riverwoods, IL
Morning in Riverwoods on Tuesday
Local time
7:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Riverwoods, IL to Elgin, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
26.3 mi
42 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Riverwoods, IL
Stéphane Tendon
Elgin, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 26.3-mile drive from Riverwoods, IL to Elgin, IL is a straightforward local journey, estimated to take about 43 minutes. With a modest fuel cost of around $4, it's an easy day trip. The route primarily utilizes East Dundee Road, Lake Cook Road, and New Sutton Road, with only about 6% on highways, suggesting a more community-focused experience. Given its short duration and local road nature, this trip is perfectly suited for a single day, allowing for flexibility in your schedule. You'll be staying within the Midwest region and the state of Illinois for the entire trip.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Dundee Road | 7.9 mi | 12m |
| Lake Cook Road | 3.6 mi | 5m |
| New Sutton Road | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Jane Addams Memorial Tollway | 2.8 mi | 3m |
| Dundee Avenue | 2 mi | 3m |
| Deerfield Parkway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Deerfield Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Weiland Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
East Dundee Road
— 7.9 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Riverwoods, IL and Elgin, IL.
1
Start on Portwine Road
6 ft
·
4 sec
·
Portwine Road
2
Turn right onto Deerfield Road
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Deerfield Road
3
Continue on Deerfield Parkway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Deerfield Parkway
4
Turn left onto Weiland Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Weiland Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto East Lake Cook Road
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
East Lake Cook Road
6
Continue on Lake Cook Road
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Lake Cook Road
7
Keep slight left at fork onto Lake Cook Road
0.6 mi
·
49 sec
·
Lake Cook Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn left onto North Hicks Road
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
North Hicks Road
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto IL 68
7.9 mi
·
12 min
·
East Dundee Road
10
Continue on IL 59
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
New Sutton Road
Use the left lane.
11
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Toward I 90 West Toll: Rockford
12
Merge onto I 90
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
13
Take the exit
504 ft
·
12 sec
Exit 56
Toward IL 25
Use the slight right lane.
14
Continue on this road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
Exit 56
Toward IL 25
15
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
this road
16
Turn left onto IL 25
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Dundee Avenue
Use the left lane.
17
Continue on Center Street
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Center Street
18
Turn right
311 ft
·
28 sec
19
Turn left onto East Chicago Street
117 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Chicago Street
20
Arrive at destination
East Chicago Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 26.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Deerfield Road
Turn right onto Deerfield Road
Navigation decision point
6
7.3 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
Lake Cook Road
Keep slight left at fork onto Lake Cook Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
23.4 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward IL 25
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 56
Toward IL 25
5
26.2 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
5
26.3 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
East Chicago Street
Turn left onto East Chicago Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.11 one way
$8.22 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.51 | $9.03 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.06 | $10.12 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.81 | $11.61 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.20
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway
(2.8 mi)
$0.20
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.76 | $1.26 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.30 | $1.05 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.68 | $1.68 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Elgin, IL
Morning in Elgin on Tuesday
Local time
7:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
NW 10 mph
34% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 16 at 12:33PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 16 at 12:29PM CDT by NWS Chicago IL
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
8 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
43m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a "turn-heavy local drive" for this 43-minute excursion. With only a 6% highway share, most of your time will be spent navigating local roads through familiar communities. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.9 miles on East Dundee Road, offering a brief period of consistent travel before more turns appear. This road profile means you'll be frequently adjusting your speed and direction, giving you a good feel for the local landscape as you progress.
Only 6% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.9 mi on East Dundee Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Deerfield Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 26.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Deerfield Road): Navigation decision point; at 7.3 miles (Lake Cook Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Elgin, IL
Full guide →Founded 1854
Elgin is a city in Chicagoland known for its Victorian architecture and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.
Top landmarks
- • Elgin Tower Building — building in Illinois, United States
- • Elgin Downtown Commercial District
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 26.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.9 miles on East Dundee Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.20 in tolls one way, starting with Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Elgin, IL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Deerfield Road): Navigation decision point; at 7.3 miles (Lake Cook Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Elgin, IL before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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